Television Nigerian

The Victim Support Fund, VSF, has handed over food items, personal protective equipments and medical supplies worth N100 million to Taraba state government for onward distribution to the vulnerable, including Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs and medical facilities in the state.

Chairperson of the VSF COVID-19 emergency taskforce team, Toyosi Akerele – Ogunsiji who presented the items to the state government Friday, in Jalingo the state capital,  noted that the palliatives would help cushion the effect of the partial lockdown imposed on the state due to the novel coronavirus, COVID-19.

According to her, “we flagged off the distribution of these items in Abuja on Tuesday, and from there we have moved to Borno, Yobe and Adamawa.

“We are here to present that of Taraba state to the government for onward distribution to the vulnerable and those in the IDP camps.

” These items which include rice, beans, maize, garri, salt and 4 litres of vegetable oil and personal protective equipments like facemasks, gloves  among others worth N100 million.

“In addition to food we are also giving out medicines, disinfectants and soaps for bathing and hand washing.”

Responding, Secretary to the State Government, Anthony Jellason thanked VSF for the support especially in this trying time.

He also assured the group that the items would be equally distributed to those it was meant for.

Vanguard reports that the food items which include 10kg bags of rice, beans, maize and garri; 4 litres of vegetable oils and 2kg bags of salt are 3,820 each.

With the worrisome uncertainty on global economy and healthcare, Hon. Victor Ngumah, the Chief Executive Officer of Lumen media and Founder of Victor for Victory Global Foundation-VVGF, has encouraged Nigerians to collaborate in adhering strictly to global directives in order to flatten the curve of covid19 outbreaks in the country.

He made the statement few hours ago via a broadcast he released from the United States of America, where flight restrictions and lockdown orders may have made it impossible for him to return back to Nigeria. He described the outbreak in US to be overwhelming, disheartening and disturbing, as it is the epicenter of the outbreak.

Hon. Victor extended concerns with the alarming levels of spread and severity of the coronavirus pandemic. He called WHO, UN and NGOs, as well as the governments to take urgent and aggressive action to collaboratively contain the spread of the virus in Nigeria.

He noted that though the  law may guarantee everyone the right to the highest attainable standard of health and obligates governments to take steps to prevent threats to public health and to provide medical care to those who need it, there may also be considerations that in the context of serious public health threats and public emergencies threatening the life of the nation, restrictions on some rights can be justified when they have legal basis.

He however encouraged Nigerians to adhere to the restrictions imposed on some of our rights, as it is in the best interest of the nation. He further challenged the government to make comprehensive measures to alleviate the challenges faced by vulnerable persons and household across agrarian communities in Nigeria, where interventions are critically needed.

As a Humanitarian, Politician, Businessman and Philanthropist, Hon. Victor Ngumah also stated that the outbreak may have also cautioned the lukewarmness of our nation’s approach in providing adequate medical and healthcare facilities in Nigeria.

He further assure Nigerians that his input to support the most vulnerable persons in our community would not be undermined, stressing that his team is compiling strategic frameworks as regards the best approach to reach out to vulnerable persons and households in IMO state and beyond.

•Says glut forcing down value of Nigeria’s oil

By Michael Eboh, with Agency Report

Global energy data, financial information and analytics company, S&P Global Platts, yesterday, disclosed that more than 50 million barrels of Nigerian crude oil for late April and May 2020 loading were still unsold, while the overhang is forcing down the value of the country’s crude oil.

In a report on its website, Platts stated that Nigerian crudes, which are largely low in sulfur and yield a generous amount of diesel, jet fuel and gasoline, are finding it very difficult to attract interest from refiners in a market where demand had been battered due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“A lot of Nigerian crude is already floating on the seas and in storage tanks with no home and destination. Some sellers have no option but to continue to look to floating storage, even as freight rates remain at elevated levels,” S&P Global Platts stated.

According to Platts, the sheer weakness of the physical oil market can be best explained by the state of the Nigerian crude market, as the once coveted light sweet Nigerian barrel is facing one of its toughest trading cycles, as refiners shun these crudes, even as they are trading at record-lows.

It noted that sellers were resorting to holding some of this oil on inland or floating storage, to hope to sell at a later date, when demand recovers.

It quoted a crude oil trader as stating that “all those who want to sell or get rid of a cargo are asking for bids … you find a treasure if you get a bid.”

Platts noted that demand destruction for jet fuel and gasoline had been particularly severe as the bulk of the world remains in lockdown, with restrictions on driving and flying.

Another reason for low demand for Nigerian oil, according to the company, had been that its main customers, Europe and India, have massively cut their refining runs.

It said:  “This overhang of Nigerian crude is possibly the largest ever in recent trading cycles, according to traders. This has pushed Nigerian crude values to record-lows and is weighing down on the already-depressed Atlantic Basin crude market.

“The fall in Nigerian crude differentials has been cataclysmic. Bonny Light was assessed at a discount of $5.70 per barrel to Dated Brent on Wednesday, its lowest level since S&P Global Platts started assessing the grade in July 2001.

‘’Similar values were heard yesterday afternoon, sources added. At the start of the year, it was trading at a premium of $1.70 per barrel to Dated Brent.

“The June loading program for Nigeria is expected to be released in just under a week, to add to the glut. Under the new OPEC/non-OPEC deal, Nigeria has committed to keep its crude output at 1.412 million barrels per day in May and June and at 1.495 million barrels per day between July and December. From January 2021 to April 2022, it will keep the output at 1.579 million b/d.

“Last week, Nigeria was producing 2.30 million b/d of crude and condensates, according to senior oil officials. With May loading cargoes already trading, sources were unsure as to how the cuts would be implemented from May, though they expect some barrels to be stored rather than exported as the demand picture already looks very bleak.”

FILE PHOTO: French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle is seen before its departure

About 20 French sailors were hospitalised following a large outbreak of the coronavirus in the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle’s naval group.

A spokesman for the French navy said on Thursday.

“There are about 20 at the moment in hospital. Out of the 20, one is in the re-animation ward and in a stable case,’’ spokesman Eric Lavault said.

On Wednesday, the French Armed Forces Ministry said 1,767 marines nearly all from the Charles de Gaulle carrier itself being evaluated and at least 668 had tested positive for the virus.

The Charles de Gaulle set sail for the eastern Mediterranean on Jan. 21, to support French military operations against Islamist militants in Iraq and Syria, before deploying to the Atlantic and then the Baltic.

There it participated in exercises with northern European navies in the Baltic Sea before returning to Toulon two weeks earlier than planned after crew members showed signs of COVID-19 symptoms.